Macron warns against escalation of tensions over North Korea

French President Emmanuel Macron voiced his concern at the ballistic and nuclear threat coming from North Korea.
Michel Euler / POOL / AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against an “escalation of tensions” over North Korea amid a growing war of words between Washington and Pyongyang.

In a statement, Macron voiced his “concern at the ballistic and nuclear threat coming from North Korea”, saying the international community needed to work to get Pyongyang “resume the path of dialogue without conditions.”

On Wednesday, the French government had praised the “determination” of US President Donald Trump after the latter upped his rhetoric against against North Korea over its weapons programmes.

“The determination of the American president... (is) the same determination as any American president would have because they cannot accept that part of their territory could be the target of ballistic missile attacks,” French government spokesman Christophe Castaner said after a cabinet meeting.